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Official Render – This is the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
This week, Asus announced its partnership with Flipkart to sell its smartphones in India exclusively through it. At the event, it was announced that Asus would be launching a new smartphone, Zenfone Max Pro M1, in India on April 23rd. Till now, we have got a lot of details related to the phone already and today, reputed leakster, Evan Blass, has posted the official press render of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 on Twitter along with a few specifications. The render confirms one thing that is going to be the main highlight of this Asus device, i.e., stock Android.
So, as the image above shows, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has an 18:9 display on the front which is a Full-HD+ panel having rounded corners. The phone, therefore, has on-screen navigation buttons. On the rear, there is a dual camera setup placed vertically in the top left corner, but if you look closely, it is not protruding out like the one on Redmi Note 5 Pro. And hey, Did we tell you that Max Pro M1 is going to be a competitor of Redmi Note 5 Pro?
The fingerprint scanner is placed on the rear. Asus devices always feature the ZENUI skin on top, but this time, the company is doing something different as the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is coming with a stock Android experience. You can see the stock Lockscreen interface in the render above.
Talking about the specifications, Snapdragon 636 processor powers the phone and this is the same chipset that is there in the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Evan mentioned only 4GB RAM, but we expect to see 6GB RAM option too since the Redmi Note 5 Pro has one. It is a dual-SIM device with the option to expand the storage via a dedicated microSD card slot. The previous leak from Asus Zenfone Blog revealed specifications like a huge 5,000mAh battery, a 16MP front camera with LED Flash, Face Unlock, Triple-slot – Dual SIM + microSD card at the same time, Up to 6GB RAM, etc.
The launch is happening tomorrow and is if priced right, this could be a Redmi Note 5 Killer.


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When we first saw the new Wii U controller, many people were quick to notice the similarities between it and the Apple iPad. We also pointed out a few of them ourselves. But our more recent article shows that the Wii U was being discussed just after the Wii was launched. Many are skeptic on whether the Wii U controller was copied off of the iPad, but Miyamoto has now revealed that the idea of the Wii U’s tablet controller was not inspired by Apple. In fact, the company was surprised when the tablets started to become popular, since it started just before Nintendo was preparing to show the device.
Actually it was coincidental, because even at this point last year at E3, we had done a lot of work on this, and it was pretty far along, and we had been working on the concept for several years,” he said.
“We felt it was kind of a funny coincidence that, while we had been working on this, all of a sudden right as we’re getting ready to bring it to the public, there’s this tablet boom.
“On the one hand we felt that if we were to show it off at E3 last year, then people would look at it and say, ‘Oh, it’s like a tablet.’ But on the other hand, it may have actually helped us because it made it easier for people to understand the concept,” he added.
“From a kind of a visual point and an initial kind of conceptual starting point, the two seem similar, [but] because of the unique structure of the console and the new controller and the TV, that when people start playing with it and interacting with it, especially in the living room, they’re going to find that it opens up a great deal more possibilities.”
I can agree with Miyamoto about revealing the Wii U in this year’s E3 instead of last years. With the iPad, many people would have looked at it as just another tablet. Also, with the revealing of the 3DS, I don’t think I could have survived from excitement at a new console as well. It also gave them more time to perfect its concept, and be able to show it in more detail.
I’ve probably said this before, but I am a student earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Game Design and Simulation. This new type of controller really opens up a new type of gameplay, and I am looking forward to what they can accomplish with it. I do see the similarities, but the Wii U interacts with your television in ways the other tablets can’t.
I do not own an Apple iPad. We bought one for my cousin for her college graduation, and she seems to love it. Sadly, she isn’t a gamer, at all, so it’s pointless for me to pester her about this sort of topic. Plus, she’s in Hawaii right now. I am jealous. Are there any of you who own one, and can give a comment about this sort of gaming experience? I’d really appreciate some opinions on gaming on an iPad.

domain: news


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We all know that the most relevant feature of Destiny games is dancing, so the Japanese arm of PlayStation decided to portray just that in its own Destiny 2 live action trailer.
The trailer is very different from the one we saw in the west (which is not unusual, as it often happens with Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan and Asia), and it’s basically all about dancing.
It’s also really funny, not only because seeing a band of guardians dancing in the streets is inherently hilarious, but mostly due to the fact that it’s actually very close to what we used to see in our usual day in the Tower, and will most probably extend to the Farm in the new game.
Unfortunately, no one screams “for the puppies!” but that would have probably been too much.
If you would like to see and read more of Destiny 2, you can take a look at our pre-review impression article in progress, and don’t forget our previous coverage on the European Dead Zone, Lost Sectors themselves and Loot Farming, and Heroic Public Events.
You can also check out a trailer from two days ago showing the Lost Sectors, another couple of trailers from the day before showcasing adventures and an NPC named Devrim Kay, another showing the map, one displaying the European Dead Zone from last week, the prologue mission I recorded last week in the PC beta, and a gallery of charming screenshots showing just how good the game looks on Windows.
Destiny 2 released today around the world for PS4 and Xbox One.PC players like me will have to wait until October 24th.


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Indian payment services provider Citrus Pay has announced a partnership with gift card solutions provider Qwikcilver to enable its 17m users to make in-store mobile payments using a gift card or voucher generated in Qwikcilver’s Woohoo mobile gifting app... More
NEC has launched a turnkey prepaid payments service that includes cloud-based system servers, cards, smartphone apps and payment terminals and is available in both Japan and internationally... More
Fifteen PVR cinemas in India have implemented an NFC payments service that works with BlackBerry 10 phones... More
Feed for stories featuring PVR.
• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFC World in our directory.


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Vancouver grocer David Kwen puts weird slogans on plastic bags to shame shoppers into bringing reusables. He thought printing “Wart Ointment Wholesale”, “Into the Weird Adult Video Emporium” and “The Colon Care Co-Op” would prove embarrassing, but instead they became a “thing” and people flocked to the store to spend 5 cents on this latest must-have status item. So now Kwen is putting the weird slogans on canvas totes. Which shows the capacity of much-derided capitalism to produce whatever consumers want including environmental consciousness. But also calls into question the devotion of many consumers to the actual environment rather than just seeming cool about it. And let’s not even mention the Weird Adult Video Emporium.
Actually let’s. Because a recent study says that online pornography is responsible for as much CO2 emissions as Belgium. (Maybe you weren’t booing Belgium over GHGs but it’s a highly industrialized country and consequently a significant emitter though only about 1/6 of Canada’s total).
People often do go about booing capitalism for distorting people’s desires, as though we never wanted anything bad for us or tasteless until a store put it on a shelf and had a celebrity endorse it. But wherever we get our desires, markets are very good at satisfying them. Which is for instance why nobody goes to a building to rent a VHS any more. We just stream video. And according to that study, online videos account for about 300 million tonnes of CO2 a year, nearly 1% of the global total. A third of that amount comes from on-demand services like Netflix. And another, embarrassingly, comes from online porn. Which appears to equal the annual total of various countries from Nigeria to Belgium.
It might seem counterintuitive since the Internet seems to be environmentally benign and in many ways is. Certainly an email has a smaller footprint than a letter, which must be printed on paper that has to be manufactured, then loaded into a truck that burns some sort of fuel to take it to your house, by a person who probably drives to work and certainly does things like eat food. But hang on. Smaller doesn’t mean nonexistent. And if the greater ease of sending email leads us to send more of it (and there’s no way you used to get as many paper letters as you now get emails) it’s possible that the total impact will be higher.
Email has to be sent, using a few electrons. But the whole Internet has to be powered, a vast network of cables, nodes and of course servers. And the latter use energy. Lots of it. Google has huge server farms. And they are energy intensive. (We know because we Googled.)
How intensive? Well of course it’s not just Google. Everybody’s doing it. Two years ago a Forbes Council article said “U.S. data centers use more than 90 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, requiring roughly 34 giant (500-megawatt) coal-powered plants. Global data centers used roughly 416 terawatts (4.16 x 1014 watts) (or about 3% of the total electricity) last year, nearly 40% more than the entire United Kingdom. And this consumption will double every four years.” Likewise Bitcoin might be cool. But Bitcoin calculations are very energy intensive. There’s no free lunch.
Email is still better than paper and so are emailed PDFs. But they aren’t free. And streaming video is very not free. According to that study, digital technology accounts for something like 4% of total human GHGs and rising fast.
The Internet puts all of culture at our fingertips. The best that has been thought and said. So we look for cats that resemble Hitler, exchange bitter insults with complete strangers and um watch smut. For hours on end. Online video evidently accounts for some 60% of global data flows (without even counting live streaming or telemedicine), partly because video files are big and partly because of what it is that we want to do when we can do anything we want.
Arguably people shouldn’t be watching pornography at all. But even if that view is brushed aside as prudish, or if people concerned about the environment shun such material for elevating productions like Game of Thrones, it is a reminder that those who would reform the world must begin by reforming human nature (good luck with that, especially if you don’t start with yourself) and that there are always tradeoffs, frequently in unexpected places. So anyone claiming to be deeply concerned about the environment, and about climate and energy, should think twice or three times, instead of rushing out to buy a trendy plastic bag while smugly deploring all those ordinary folks whose ordinary plastic bags are supposedly destroying the Earth.


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Old Spice Ad Ties In With “The Witcher”
Over a decade after their iconic “I’m on a horse” ad, Old Spice is getting in on this week’s launch of the second season of Netflix’s “The Witcher” with a themed commercial and online tie-ins.
Netflix and Old Spice have reportedly collaborated on a range of new scents for Old Spice that are inspired by the fantasy series.
To celebrate they’ve released a new commercial with a song that sounds akin to one of Jaskier’s tunes as it runs with the theme that in this world there was a lot of body odour.
If the location looks familiar it should, it’s the tavern from the opening scenes of the first season’s fourth episode – complete with David Broughton Davies reprising his role.
The new scents include Geralt’s Bathwater, Yennefer’s Underarm, Smell of Suprise and Kikimora’s Corpse among others. More details are up at OldSpice.com while the new run of “The Witcher” releases on Netflix on Friday.


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The heads of some of China’s largest solar makers pressed the industry to reduce costs as raw material inflation boosts panel prices for the first time in eight years.
Manufacturers like Trina Solar Co. and Longi Green Energy Technology Co. said rising prices are creating problems for their customers, solar’s end-users, and that companies in the supply chain need to improve cooperation to better balance supply and demand for materials.
The executives spoke at the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy conference in Shanghai on Wednesday, in the midst of solar power’s worst bout of inflation in more than a decade. Solar module costs have risen 21% since the start of the year, potentially causing developers to delay projects.
“The continuous surge in raw material costs this year has created a very big hassle for our end-customers,” said Gao Jifan, chairman of panel-maker Trina. “We need to break the trend as soon as possible.”
The key culprit behind rising prices is polysilicon, the ultra-conductive material that’s the main component in photovoltaic panels. Prices have more than quadrupled in the past year as surging demand for new solar power has outpaced production capacity.
The material’s meteoric price rise is causing concerns over supply security, Longi Chairman Zhong Baoshen said during a panel discussion at the conference.
The fix, according to Zhong, is for polysilicon makers to invest in more capacity, while the companies that buy polysilicon need to slow their spending to improve the supply-demand balance.
Prices may stay high through the rest of the year, but the supply shortage should ease in 2022 and 2023 as new factories come online, BloombergNEF analyst Yali Jiang said in a note Wednesday.
— With assistance by Dan Murtaugh, and Winnie Zhu


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Problems with Samsung phones aren't over yet. The company is getting reports its new Galaxy Note 7 replacement phones are too hot.
You may remember the original phones had problems with overheating batteries that caught fire.
Even with those rumblings from customers, Samsung says the new Note 7 phones are operating properly and pose no safety concerns. But if you're having issues with the replacement phone -- talk to customer service.
The company confirmed about one million people have replacement Note 7 phones.


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Microsoft is about to support cross platform play in a whole new manner. An open letter from Director of ID@Xbox Chris Charla has announced that the company will be natively supporting cross platform multiplayer across both consoles and PC. In this case, consoles happens to mean just about any console the game developers decide to enable the feature on – although in practice this generally means the PlayStation 4.
The first game to support this feature happens to be the popular indie game Rocket League. According to Charla, the game will allow “cross-network play between Xbox One and PC players, with an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.”
Cross platform capability is a feature that often comes up when new games are announced. People want the option to play with their friends who happen to prefer other platforms, and this announcement may go a long way to help flagging Xbox One sales.
That being said, many developers have deliberately avoided cross platform support. This is not a case of that it cannot be done, but rather that it shouldn’t be done. Blizzard has clearly announced that the upcoming Overwatch will not support multi-platform multiplayer despite being released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. According to the developer, this is because the keyboard and mouse offers a slight advantage in shooters that may affect the experience for everyone.
On the other hand, Street Fighter V does allow PC gamers to challenge those on consoles; which shows that this feature is likely to gain traction in certain genres that don’t require pinpoint accuracy and twitch reflexes.
ID@Xbox is at Game Developers Conference this week and is showing off a few other new features aimed directly at developers. That being said, being able to join multiplayer session with other people – no matter what platform they are on – is the biggest news to come out of GDC in a while.


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First unit of Citroën C5 Aircross SUV rolls out from plant ahead of Q1 launch
Citroën on Thursday announced that it has started the commercial production of the upcoming C5 Aircross SUV from its manufacturing facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. The C5 Aircross is going to be brand's first product for the Indian market which will be launched this quarter.
The company says that it has tested the upcoming SUV for over 2.5 lakh kilometres in different terrains and varied weather conditions before its launch in the country.
Commenting on this milestone, Mr. Emmanuel Delay, Executive Vice President, Stellantis & Chairman, PCA Automobile India Pvt Ltd & PSA AVTEC Powertrain Pvt Ltd., said, “We are excited to officially roll out the first Citroën C5 Aircross SUV, which will be the first of many differentiating products for India from the brand. There is a lot of market anticipation for the new Citroën C5 Aircross SUV, which will set a benchmark in style, comfort and innovation in its segment in India. We are looking forward to welcoming the customers to the La Maison Citroën dealership network, which means ‘the home of Citroën’ in a few weeks from now, across key cities of India."
The new C5 Aircross SUV will source power from a 2.0 litre diesel engine which will be offered with an 8-speed "Efficient Automatic Transmission" with Shift and Park by wire control.
Some of the key comfort and convenience-oriented features on Citroen's upcoming SUV will include Foot Operated Electric Tailgate, Engine Stop & Start function, a 12.3 inch Digital Driver Display, an 8 inch Infotainment Touchscreen with Phone Mirroring function, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, and more. Its safety kit will include Blind Spot Monitoring System, Park Assist feature, Grip Control System, and more.


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Mercedes-Benz auto sales for March hit levels the company has never posted before in a single month, as demand for its top-of-the-range S-Class and compact cars increased.
The automaker sold 158,523 cars and SUVs, with sales rising 13% to make the 2014 first quarter results the best since the brand’s inception, Daimler AG stated on Friday.
The company has seen sales growth rates above 10% for nine months in a row as buyers warm up to the high-end E-Class model and expanded compact cars.
“Mercedes is growing at a brisk speed at the moment. “This is a good basis to catch up with the competition. But I don’t expect BMW or Audi to post bad numbers for March either,” analyst Frank Biller of Stuttgart-based LBBW is quoted by Bloomberg as saying.
Daimler stocks climbed as a high as 1.6% to hit 70.94 euros in Frankfurt. The company’s shares, which have hit highs not witnessed since late 2007, has advanced 12% in 2014, putting the automaker’s value at $103 billion.
The world’s largest maker of luxury cars plans to add up to 30 new models through 2020 in a strategy to reclaim its leadership of the top-of-the range auto market from BMW, which is based in Munich and Ingolstadt-based Audi.
According to ABC, Daimler attributes the historic March auto sales figures to rising demand in China and an impressive performance in Europe.
Mercedes’ sales jumped 7.6% last month in Europe, with UK sales advancing 20% and exceeding the country’s overall gain of 18%.
Chinese sales of the brand increased 48% in the first quarter, buoyed by leading sales of the E-Class model with an expanded wheel-base.
On the other hand, BMW reported a 25% gain in Chinese auto sales for the first three months of 2014. Volkswagen Audi unit recorded a 21% surge in sales for the same period.
To contact the reporter of the story: Yashu Gola at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Area Perkins to see changes
Ten Erie-area Perkins restaurants, including one at 2714 W. Eighth St. in Millcreek Township, will soon have their signage removed as part of an agreement between their owner and the company that owns the Perkins brand.
Seventeen other area Perkins restaurants owned by 5171 Campbell's Land. Co. LLC — including ones at 4403 Peach St. and 4334 Buffalo Road in Harborcreek Township — will keep their names but could soon have new owners.
A legal stipulation and consent order between CLC and Perkins & Marie Callender's LLC was filed Friday in the Western Pennsylvania District of U.S. Bankruptcy Court. It came four days after CLC filed for bankruptcy protection, citing assets of between $1 million and $10 million, and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million.
CLC purchased the restaurants from the bankruptcy court for $7.8 million in January 2018.
As part of the agreement, CLC has agreed to remove all exterior signage and identification at 10 "de-commissioned restaurants" within 10 days of the order's entry, according to court documents. Those restaurants include the West Eighth Street location and others in Titusville, New Castle, Warren and Mars, as well as Conneaut, Ashtabula, Canfield, Brooklyn and Canton, Ohio.
CLC may continue operating businesses at those locations, as long as they are not similar to a Perkins restaurant as defined in the license agreements. The company will continue operating the other 17 restaurants under the Perkins name until PMC reaches an agreement with a third-party licensee or Aug. 10, whichever comes first, court documents stated.
The agreement also requires both parties to waive any claims against each other. PMC had filed a lawsuit against CLC on June 27 in Memphis, Tennesee, seeking payment of more than $2.9 million in unpaid royalty fees.
According to PMC's agreement with its franchisees, CLC was required to buy "Perkins proprietary flour, pancake, cookie, muffin and other mixes and batters, made with secret recipes and formulas" and to comply in other cases with the chain's standards for sanitation and quality.
According to the lawsuit, just four months after purchasing the 27 restaurants, PMC informed the regional restaurant operator that it was in default "for using unapproved products in the restaurants, namely turkey and pork chops."
PMC said CLC also caused harm to the company's reputation following the temporary closure of its location in Grove City, which was ordered closed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services.
In CLC's bankruptcy protection filing, it lists the PMC as its biggest creditor with a claim of $1.5 million, followed by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue ($1.325 million) and US Foodservice Rec Corp. ($1 million).
Attorneys for PMC and CLC did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
David Bruce can be reached at 870-1736 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ETNbruce.


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Hasbro just finished their Livestream and they have alot of reveals, some that weren’t even rumoured. We have a ton to get through so let get jump into it.
First of all they said that they were not revealing any Eternals stuff until at least SDCC.
As for the first reveal, because it’s the year 2020 they announced a Iron Man 2020 figure. This is based on the alternate future version, Not the one from the current run in comics. This will be exclusive to Walgreens and will go up for PO soon.
Next they confirmed that Venom Cap is a Walmart Exclusive and that Mile and Gwen are part of a TBA wave (seriously guys, we know it’s the Venom wave).
Those who missed out on any of the Hydra Trooper set can now purchase them directly from Hasbro Pulse, which should be up for Pre-order now.
The Fan vote will start soon for Pulse member and will be sold for Pulse members only. It should be noted that unlike the other Fan Poll, only the winner will get a figure (unless something happens). The Choices are White costume (for all), Silk, Sif and Elektra. My Vote goes to Elektra.
The next Riders set was reveal and those that thought we were getting a Punisher van would be disappointed as it was revealed to be a Punisher on a Motorcycle.
They “announced” the Gamerverse wave with the wave consisting on GV Cap, Iron Man and Ms. Marvel (she is mostly the same has the other version but with different paint as well as arms and legs) alongside COMIC Mar-Vell, Rage, Leader and Mach-1. The BAF is a GV Abominations.
they also announced a Space Armor Iron Man that will be exclusive to Target.
They then announced the Sugar Man BAF.
We also got 2 more figures for the Deadpool wave, that has Strong Guy as the BAF. Joining X-men Deadpool, X-force Sunspot and Warpath we have 2 brand new character in the form of Maverick and my fellow Irish Man Black Tom Cassidy. There is still at least one more figure for this wave if not 2.
The rumored Spider-man vintage line has been confirmed. The back card is based on the 90’s animated show’s toyline. It will include a Civilian Peter Parker with a Camera and Half and Half face to imitiate him having a spider-sense, Gwen Stacy with a MJ head and a brand new sculpt Classic Spider-man with an FA Head. That all they showed but rumor has it the rest will include Daredevil, Electro and Green Goblin.
They then announced some brand new deluxe set the first being a brand new and long awaited Classic War Machine. It will come with a load of blast effect. Those wondering why the AOA wave didn’t have the character it is named after don’t worry as he is coming in a new deluxe set. Not sure if the skull comes with him but it would be cool if he did.
They then announced some figure that used their new No-Pin figure. They haven’t announced how the following will be released. First they announced a Old Man Hawkeye as well as his Travel mate Old Man Logan, who comes with a Baby Hulk.
For X-men fans they showed the Nimrod figure announced earlier as well as telling us he will comes with a Classic head. They also announced a Legacy Rogue figure, which was orignally supposed to be release in the Puck wave. This is a whole new sculpt. They announced a Classic/FA Storm for what seems to be a multi-pack for Target. Are we getting a Giant Size X-men box set?
Finally we got the biggest surprise. After decades without making any Fox Movie properties, Thanks to Disney buying Fox, Hasbro announced that they will be making X-men Movie figure. A load of X-men Movie figures. Wolverine, Mystique, Domino, Cable (which is a Walmart Exclusive), Deadpool and Negasonic Teenage Warhead 2-pack, Professor x and Magneto 2-pack (with both set of actors heads) and finally another Wolverine as a Amazon Exclusive.
They didn’t officially announce it but Hasbro ended the show but announcing that the next Haslab program will be a Sentinel figure.
More figure may be shown at the Showroom so check back for that.


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Future Market Insights: FMI states in its recent study on the probiotic yogurt market that the market will record a CAGR of 6.3% through 2021. Demand for probiotic yogurt is anticipated to continue surging particularly due to the rising health consciousness among people of all age groups. In its new study, ESOMAR-certified market research and consulting firm Future Market Insights (FMI) offers insights about key factors driving demand for taurine. The report tracks the global sales of taurine in 20+ high-growth markets, along with analyzing the impact COVID-19 has had on the food and beverage industry in general, and taurine in particular.
“Adapting to the progressing wave of veganism, the global market will witness increased probiotic yogurt made from plant-based sources or dairy alternatives. Dynamic preferences of vegan and the flexitarian population are remarkably influencing the probiotic yogurt market. .” says the FMI analyst.
Request a report sample to gain comprehensive market insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3259
Probiotic yogurt Market – Important Highlights
- Spoonable yogurt is estimated to hold the leading market share in the projected years owing to the preference of consumers for the taste and texture.
- Due to rising health concerns, low fat content probiotic yogurt is estimated to lead the market and is projected with a CAGR of 6%
- As of now, supermarkets dominate the share in the global market, however, online retailers are estimated to gain traction during the upcoming projected years.
- The US is expected to hold a prominent place in the market due to an established consumer base
- Opportunities for the market growth are plenty in China in the forecasted years, because almost half of the people are overweight and there is a rise in health concern among them.
Probiotic yogurt Market – Drivers
- Rising awareness due to the associated health benefits and its help in the prevention of diseases such as diabetes and facilitating weight loss will generate growth prospects.
- the Probiotic yogurt market is expected to witness an increase in demand for plant-based sources or dairy alternatives, adapting to the progressing wave of veganism.
- Increasing preference towards products made from natural ingredients is boosting demand for probiotic yogurt.
- The increase in demand for exotic flavors like blueberry, mint coriander, banana chocolate will drive the growth of the market.
For information on the Research Approach used in the Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-3259
Probiotic yogurt Market – Restraints
- Is comparatively pricey compared to other dairy products which are thought to be a key constraint for the market.
- Rapidly changing consumer demand which is why companies need to have their foot in innovation and continuously improve, which can cause problems at times.
COVID-19 Impact on Probiotic yogurt Market
During the onset of COVID, the market was driven by the stockpiling of groceries which was followed by a lockdown. As health and hygiene were on the top priority list of customers, there was a rapid increase in sales in probiotic yogurt due to its excellent source of essential nutrients such as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B12, and vitamin B2. During the onset of lockdown, there was an increase In demand generated from the eCommerce stores.
The probiotic yogurt market players are leaning towards the expansion of the production facilities and increasing their types of products besides opting for strategic collaborations to attain a competitive edge. For this, they are introducing probiotic yogurt infused with different flavours and exotic fruits. Some of the leading companies operating in the market are Danone S.A., General Mills, Inc., Nestlé S.A. among others.
To gain a deeper understanding of the market, you can request the full report at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/3259
- Drinkable Probiotic Yogurt
- Spoonable Probiotic Yogurt
- Soy Milk
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Regular/Whole Milk
- Convenience Stores
- Specialty Stores
- Online Retailers
- Grocery Stores
- Other Retail Formats
Future Market Insights
Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A,
Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
For Sales Enquiries: firstname.lastname@example.org
For Media Enquiries: email@example.com


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Media planners said while all three telcos - Airtel, Jio and Vi - will have tactical campaigns in the festive quarter, Airtel is slated to lead the media spending in the category.
Jio and Airtel lost 1 million active users each, reducing their base of such customers to 382 million and 356 million respectively in July. Vi lost as many as 1.7 million such users, shrinking its active mobile users base to 217 million.
Jio, though, has retained its leadership in the active users market with a 37.7% share, while Airtel and Vi’s active user market shares were at 35.2% and 21.4% respectively in July, data collated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) showed.
It added that while the active users base has shrunk across operators in July, Vi’s 1.7 million active subs decline, posed a key concern, underlining the cash-strapped telco’s continuing inability to compete with Jio and Airtel on the 4G services front, and its imminent challenges going forward once the top two carriers launch 5G services.
Active, or visitor location register (VLR), data put out every month by Trai, indicates the number of mobile users actively using a mobile network.
“The significant active user losses reflect the impact of high inflation and costlier mobile services, which is likely to have forced many low-value users, particularly in the rural markets, not to recharge and deactivate their SIMs,” said another analyst at a leading global brokerage.
Motilal Oswal, though, said that the pace of industry-wide 4G user additions continued in July at a healthy 5.7 million, similar to June 2022 levels. “Jio reported 2.9 million 4G user additions, followed by Airtel (2.6 million), while Vi’s 4G user base saw no change.”
Airtel added 0.14 million wired broadband customers in July, taking its fixed broadband user base to 5 million. Jio, in turn added 0.11 subscribers to its JioFibre service in July, taking its home broadband user base to 6.3 million.
State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) reported additions of 0.01 million, taking its wired broadband users base to 3.9 million in July.
“Jio’s market share (in the wired broadband subs space) dipped marginally to 21.3% (down 18bps MoM) while that for Bharti rose to 16.9% (up 4bps MoM),” ICICI Securities said, analysing Trai data.


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November 19, 2021
The reimagined Apple The Grove is now open in Los Angeles
The new Apple The Grove opened on Friday, November 19th at the famous shopping destination in Los Angeles. Located in the heart of the open square, the new store is almost twice the size of the original building and has been redesigned to be a new meeting place for the Los Angeles community to discover Apple products and services, get support and participate. in free Today at Apple sessions or popular Photo Walks at The Grove.
Just in time for the holiday season, participants can take a festive walk to familiarize themselves with the features of the iPhone 13 Pro, including how to take stunning macro photos with the Ultra Wide camera, record video with Cinematic Mode, and shoot with style new photos. Customers can register at apple.com/today/event/photo-walk-capture-festive-moments-iphone.
Visitors can enter the new store from inside The Grove or West Third Street, which leads directly to an area dedicated entirely to Apple Pickup.
Apple Media Helpline


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Cash transfers have gained prominence as an effective tool for humanitarian assistance, with an estimated $1.3 billion to $1.8 billion delivered as cash assistance in 2015. The digital or electronic transfer — “e-transfer” — of humanitarian assistance marries this growth in cash-based aid with an explosion in new technologies, including mobile phones. By the end of 2016, an estimated 65 percent of the global population had a mobile phone subscription; by 2020, that percentage is expected to grow to 73 percent.
Humanitarian payments can now be made to mobile phones, and many agencies choose to do so for a number of reasons. They may cite better security for staff, greater efficiency, or the opportunity to reinforce local payment infrastructure. Another benefit is often implicit: That recipients’ exposure to mobile money through humanitarian payments will increase their use of digital financial services.
See more related topics:
Having a mobile phone is not the same as managing a mobile wallet, but the logic linking them is straightforward. If people lack experience using mobile money, then humanitarian agencies can create a learning opportunity by digitally transferring aid. By switching to mobile money, agencies have a safer, streamlined system for making bulk payments, and aid recipients have access to not only their cash but a robust menu of financial services. Suddenly, traditional alternatives — the shopkeeper who lent them money, the trucker who carried cash to a family member in the capital, or the goat that served as their “savings” — are replaced by powerful digital financial tools.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Research by the Electronic Cash Transfer Learning Action Network, or ELAN, in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe demonstrates that short-term exposure to mobile money services does not significantly alter recipients’ financial behavior. Put more plainly: People will continue to use the informal financial services they used prior to an e-transfer program.
That is, unless programs are specifically designed to increase access to financial services. And that’s the good news.
Almost all ELAN study participants were new to mobile money. The highest pre-program use was Bangladesh, at 26 percent. Very few had unlimited access to a mobile phone, and in some cases, mobile technology was so novel that participants had difficulty even charging their phones.
Despite this steep learning curve, many participants spoke positively about mobile money and some even preferred it to “cash in hand” in the future — 41 percent in Ethiopia, 58 percent in Bangladesh, and 62 percent in Zimbabwe. Participants’ burgeoning awareness of mobile money as an available financial service is positive.
“If you look at the customer journey in mobile financial adoption,” says Marcella Willis, author of two of the studies, “the first step is awareness.” Humanitarian agencies can capitalize on these positive factors in order to connect vulnerable people — the most common recipients of aid — to digital financial services.
To that end, we have four recommendations for e-transfer programs that want to increase financial inclusion.
1. Understand whether mobile money fills a real gap: Mobile money offerings vary, and people have very logical and practical reasons for using informal services to manage their money. Agencies should understand service gaps, users’ priorities, and whether local mobile money options meet these needs.
2. Promote mobile phone ownership if rates are low: Subsidized phone purchases in Ethiopia shot ownership rates to 99 percent; in other countries, many program participants were gifted phones or purchased one with their transfer. New users need access to, and control over, a personal mobile phone to gain digital familiarity and skills.
3. Provide opportunities for robust, hands-on training: Provide opportunities for users to practice transactions and be clear about the capability and utility of mobile wallets. Retention was greatest after hands-on trainings led by trusted community or family members rather than large group instruction.
4. Increase transfer frequency to build familiarity: New mobile money users need multiple opportunities to master mobile money transactions, such as PIN entry or the steps to cash-out. Repeat transfers can build proficiency and confidence.
The studies’ findings are “a reminder that we need to think about the lives and priorities of people assisted and be careful not to create unrealistic expectations,” says Sarah Bailey, author of the ELAN consolidated study and policy brief.
Any decision requires weighing tradeoffs. Hitting the right balance is even more delicate in a humanitarian response, where the primary objective is to deliver life-saving aid. Brian Hunter, Save the Children’s country director during the e-transfer program in Zimbabwe, understands. “Because we wanted to get as much money in the pockets of beneficiaries as we could,” he says, “we limited some of the activities we could have done” to promote uptake of new services.
Chrissy Martin, senior advisor for digital financial at the United States Agency for International Development, echoes this. “Financial inclusion doesn’t always align with [humanitarian] program goals,” she explained. “If people need to buy food, we don't necessarily want them to keep money in their [mobile] accounts.” It costs money to run tailored trainings or subsidize phone purchases — and no one wants to reduce the amount of emergency assistance provided to households in need.
Still, digital bulk payments can be an enabler — a “push factor” — in the use of formal financial services, according to Silvia Baur, a development economist at the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor. “But the consumer experience needs to be really positive,” she said, “so that a participant thinks, ‘This is of value to me, this is better than what I’ve been using.’”
In Ethiopia, that seems to be the case. Seventy-four percent of participants said they planned to continue using their new mobile money accounts.
Join the Devex community and access more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.


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Our 2022 New York and California releases have an issue that affects some of our apps that were originally purchased in 2016 or earlier, and can cause the app to crash on startup. We are in the process of releasing updates that fix this problem. Apps that were originally purchased in 2017 or later are not affected.
The fix is available in version 22.05 and will be in the app store soon.
Sorry about the long delay, but we are very happy to be back and our updates for 2022 are currently being published to the app store! We hope to all of our available apps updated by the end of this week, and will be publishing a list of the updates apps soon.
Other developers have been reporting problems of In-App Purchases taking a while to be recognized by the App Store. If you try to updated to our 2022 Statutes via In-App Purchse and do not get a popup, please wait a few hours then try again after restarting your phone/tablet.


text: Pokie Ninja, a Naruto and Bleach inspired MMO, will be celebrating its first birthday throughout March and April. Ngames have revealed some anniversary events to celebrate the amazing first year that the developers, and players have experienced. Pockie Ninja has quickly become one of the fastest growing MMO’s that is online today. Over the last year, the game has won awards, released free updates and accumulated 11 million registered users! Now that is something to celebrate on its own!


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SAN FRANCISCO --
RF Micro Devices
is dumping its cell phone transceiver chip business as it seeks to shore up its sagging profitability.
The company said Tuesday it will reduce investments in wireless systems, including cellular transceivers and GPS products, effective immediately. The move will save RF Micro roughly $75 million in product development costs in its new fiscal year.
Shares of RF Micro were off more than 7% in recent after-hours trading to $3.20.
"These strategic actions will enable RMFD to deliver more predictable financial results and substantially higher profitability," said CEO Bog Bruggerworth in a statement.
RF Micro devices will focus on producing front-end chips for cell phones as well as chips for communications infrastructure equipment.
With the moves, RF Micro expects to achieve an adjusted operating margin of at least 10% and double-digit return on invested capital by the end of the 2008 calendar year.
RF Micro will take a restructuring charge of $40 million to $50 million over the next two quarters.
The Greensboro, N.C.-based chipmaker announced the restructuring plan after Tuesday's market close, along with results for its fiscal fourth quarter in which RF Micro posted a loss of $16.4 million, or 6 cents a share.
At this time last year, RF Micro had a profit of $30.1 million or 14 cents a share.
Excluding stock compensation expenses and restructuring and amortization charges, RF Micro earned EPS of a penny, in line with Wall Street expectations.
Of course, analysts were expecting a much higher EPS three months ago, when the chipmaker delivered a weak financial outlook due to slowing demand in the cell phone handset business and product launch delays among certain customers.
The fact that
, RF Micro's second-largest customer, is exploring spinning off its handset division has not helped.
Sales for the three months ended March 29 totaled $221.9 million, in line with analysts' expectations.
In the current quarter, RF Micro projected sales between $230 million and $245 million, vs. the average analyst expectation of $238.3 million. The company forecast adjusted EPS of one penny to 2 cents, compared with the 2 cents EPS expected by analysts.


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EFFECTED USERS: Everyone who lives in Connecticut, and every company that serves Connecticutians
Hair of fire 2 of 5
SUMMARY: Patchwork of state Consumer Privacy laws continues
If you are a customer in Connecticut, you should to understand this. But if you sell to people in Connecticut, you NEED to understand this.
Any company anywhere that sells in the US, also sells to Connecticut.
On July 1, 2023 a new law will go into effect for the State of Connecticut concerning privacy.
- the right of access – which allows consumers to confirm whether or not a controller is processing their personal data, and to access such personal data, unless such confirmation or access would require the controller to reveal a trade secret;
- the right of rectification – which allows consumers to correct inaccuracies in their personal data, taking into account the nature of the personal data and the purposes of the processing of this personal data;
- the right of deletion – which allows consumers to delete personal data which they have previously provided;
- the right of data portability – which allows consumers to obtain a copy of their personal data which is processed by the controller, and to obtain this data in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows the consumer to transmit the data to another controller without hindrance, where the processing is carried out by automated means, provided that such controller shall not be required to reveal any trade secret; and
- the right to opt out – which allows consumers to opt out of the processing of their personal data for:purposes of targeted advertising;
Keir Lamont, the senior counsel at the Future of Privacy Forum, added that Connecticut’s privacySteve Gibson, Security Now Episode #869
bill goes beyond existing state privacy laws by “directly limiting the use of facial recognition
technology, establishing default protections for adolescent data, and strengthening consumer
choice, including through requiring recognition of many global opt-out signals. Nevertheless, a
federal privacy law remains necessary to ensure that all Americans are guaranteed strong,
baseline protections for the processing of their personal information.”
Yes – a national program is needed.
So far, 4 states have enacted privacy legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislators:
California, Colorado, Utah and Virginia
THERE ARE 50 STATES!! Any company has to know and all of these laws, which have similarities, but also have significant differences. National laws needed.
That’s all the time we have!
Don’t forget to check out our sponsor, and home of my day-job: SAFE Classroom, at http://www.thesafe.io
Thanks for listening


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It is likely that Modenas will roll out the Dominar 250 in the second quarter of the year.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!
The Indian motorcycle giant, Bajaj has already launched the Dominar 250 for the country’s market in March 2020 as a smaller variant of the Dominar 400.
The appearance of the 250cc version is to give wide access to customers who want a ‘sport-touring’ motorcycle but at a more affordable price.
The latest news is that we understand that the Dominar 250 will also be introduced in Malaysia. Most likely the model will be introduced around the second quarter (Q2) of this year.
Like the Modenas Dominar 400, the 250cc model will also be marketed with the Modenas badge.
Equipped with the KTM Duke 250 engine, the Dominar 250 joins the ranks of other 250cc displacement machines. This includes the Yamaha R25, Honda CB250, KTM Duke 250 and Ninja 250.
However, as a ‘touring’ concept motorcycle, the 248cc single-cylinder DOHC engine has been tuned. It now produces 27hp at 8,500rpm and 23.5Nm at 6,500rpm. This is lower compared to the DUKE 250 which generates 29.6hp at 9,000rpm and 24Nm at 7,500rpm.
On paper, the Dominar 250 is capable of reaching a maximum speed of around 132km/h.
Based on the overall design, the Dominar 250 still maintains the features found on the Dominar D400. This is except for some significant changes including smaller tires, forks (USD) and brake discs.
Interestingly, this 250 version comes with dual-channel ABS. For the record, the Bajaj Dominar 250 is available at Rs 1.60 lakh (around RM9,061) in India.


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FREE THE GRAPES! BLOG
Free the Grapes! recently started a blog to address key issues for wineries. Current posts on our blog page include:
- WSWA Comments on Retailer DTC: A Little Fact Checking is in Order
- Why is Retailer DTC Shipping So Restricted?
- What is DTC Shipping? Outside the wine industry, the definition gets a bit cloudy.
TOP NEWS ITEMS
After Veto Scare, Oklahoma to be 45th Legal State in October
A bill allowing common carriers to comply with the new state law was under veto threat, but Free the Grapes! consumers sent 550+ letters to Governor Fallin within 24 hours in support of SB 1537. The Governor signed the bill the next day, which will allow winery direct shipping in October. The signature capped off years of successful lobbying by Wine Institute.
Delaware House to Vote on Direct Shipping June 5
Delaware is one of six states (soon to be five) that has an outright ban on DTC shipping. House Bill 165, while not ideal, passed the House Committee on Administration on April 25 and is now on the June 5 agenda for a floor vote. Free the Grapes! is working actively in the state with Wine Institute and local wineries to encourage consumers to write their legislators. Our message: amend the ban on wines already in distribution, then pass HB165. We need your help, too! ACTION: Send your consumers to this page
New Bills Introduced in New Jersey
Wine Institute and Free the Grapes! are working to support Senate Bill 2496 and Assembly Bill 3867. The two bills would add a new permit allowing wineries producing more than 250k gallons to direct ship, without touching the existing DTC statutes. ACTION: To support our efforts, please direct consumers to this page.
OTHER LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Unfortunately, Alabama’s wine and beer wholesalers as well as the state’s powerful retailers had Senate Bill 243, a favorable shipping bill, killed before it could reach a vote by the Senate. Alabama consumers were quite active in their support, generating 900+ letters to state legislators.
Senate Bill 76, an omnibus bill, passed the Senate on April 30, but failed to pass in the House when the bill’s author withdrew his bill following amendments that were unrelated to the DTC shipping portion of the bill. If it had passed, it would, have replaced the “reasonable amount” provision for DTC shipments with a new permit and 12 case limit. It is likely this issue will be back again in 2019 when they start a new legislative session.
House Bill 5368 would have allowed for retailer DTC shipping within the current winery shipping law, but the legislature adjourned May 9 without taking action.
2411 would have added beer and spirits to the wine DTC law, but the state adjourned in early May and the bill did not move.
KENTUCKY House Bill 400 was signed by the Governor and allows for wine and spirits DTC. Unfortunately, it includes an onsite order provision which may face a court challenge, does not solve the wet/dry issue, and is unclear on other tax matters. Wine Institute recommends that wineries not take action until these issues are resolved.
Senate Bill 508 would have gutted our DTC law but it was amended to only require ID checks at point of delivery. The bill is now in the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 791 would create a permit structure and a 12 case/year limit, an increase from 2 cases per year.
As previously reported, several bills were under consideration—some good, some bad – but they all died in committee. Despite the loss, lobbyists view the legislative landscape more favorably than in previous years.
Senate Bill 353, the commission’s bill to ban retailer DTC shipping, failed to pass. However, the commission has recently started rejecting all applications and renewals for retailer shipping licenses. To date, winery DTC license renewals appear to be being processed as before.
Assembly Bill 5991, and Senate Bill 5330, both carryover bills from 2017, would allow retailer DTC shipping. SB 5330 is now in the Senate Finance Committee.
H 826 was signed by the Governor in March. It raises the permit license fees from $95 to $230 in order to fund compliance enforcement.


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By Jana Riethausen, Viewpointsystem Editorial Team
Every year in early January, the entertainment mecca of the United States transforms into a global tech hub: CES in Las Vegas is THE tech event to kick off the new year. Even though it’s primarily a consumer-oriented show, CES is hugely influential and helps set the agenda for the year. This is what you need to know from the show floor.
AI is everywhere
After seemingly lagging behind in artificial intelligence last year (when AI was all around after the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, CES programs were already set), it’s now clear: AI is indispensable.
But what exactly to do with the technology? How to make AI profitable? The tech industry provides various answers to this question: from AI-powered, fully connected homes to personal assistants (examples include Samsung’s “Ballie” and the “rabbit r1“) to AI assistants for industrial applications. Microsoft is working with Siemens on the latter. Their “Industrial Copilot“ aims to improve collaboration between humans and machines in manufacturing. Maintenance workers will be supported with natural language and detailed repair instructions, while engineers will have quick access to simulation tools.
For automotive applications, Microsoft is partnering with Sony and Honda: their e-car prototype “Afeela” can not only be controlled with a Playstation controller, but also features a voice assistant powered by “Microsoft Copilot”. The car is supposed to be available for order in 2025 and to be delivered in 2026.
Volkswagen is getting even more specific: Starting in the second quarter, the company plans to integrate ChatGPT into its cars, combining a large language model with its IDA voice assistant. The goal is to provide better, more natural responses. Volkswagen is thus bringing the AI-assisted driving experience to the masses.
And there was some other noteworthy news: Chipmaker AMD announced plans to integrate neural processing units into its processors, allowing systems to learn locally rather than relying on large data centers. This means that devices with these AI processors can perform tasks locally and without an internet connection, which is especially appealing to companies concerned about data privacy. It also eliminates latency by eliminating the need to send data halfway around the world.
The metaverse’s industrial revolution
In his CES keynote, Siemens CEO Roland Busch declared 2024 as the turning point for the “industrial metaverse”. While the consumer metaverse experience has yet to be proven, Siemens showcased the possibilities for the industry. Engineers and logisticians can experiment and innovate with “digital twins” of cars, airplanes, or entire factories in virtual spaces, using MR and VR headsets. This allows them to optimize processes and realistically test scenarios. Companies could save on prototyping and construction costs. A factory planned in the industrial metaverse is expected to be significantly more productive and energy-efficient.
The digital twin thus bridges the analog and digital worlds. If Siemens succeeds in establishing a standard here, the potential for industry is enormous.
Most experts agree that the “industrial metaverse” will keep us much busier than we can currently imagine, also in terms of significant performance improvements. Which application areas have the greatest potential for manufacturing companies in the short and medium term? LEARN MORE
As people connect their homes and lives with various devices, the car cannot be left behind. CES provided a glimpse of how customers are finally getting the technology in their cars that builds a bridge to their digital lives.
We have already mentioned VW’s planned integration of ChatGPT into the on-board system. Service-oriented AI can also be found at BMW, although the Munich-based opts for Amazon Alexa instead of ChatGPT. Amazon’s new Large Language Model is expected to rival ChatGPT, and with feeding from Amazon’s databases, it could open up new possibilities. For example, if Amazon integrates its LLM with retail and logistics, shopping from the backseat could become a reality. Another potential topic is B2B applications for large fleets, such as predictive maintenance.
Circular economy and sustainability
While AI took center stage at CES, there was also a clear shift towards sustainable solutions. This trend was led by CES organizer itself, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which introduced a new initiative on the first day to promote recycling, reuse, and ultimately reduce waste. Founding companies Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Lenovo, and LG have committed to improving e-waste processing, increasing repair and reuse, and incorporating more recycled materials into their products.
Exciting green tech innovations were also on display: Canadian startup Agapyo introduced a biodegradable plastic that can be added to a regular compost heap. Neoplants from France showed bioengineered indoor plants that remove 30 times more pollutants from the air in indoor spaces like offices than conventional plants.
Which, in the sea of blinking LEDs and AI-powered devices, reminds us that innovation can take many shapes.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Bellwether tech stocks such as Apple Inc. AAPL, -2.27% Oracle Corp. ORCL, -0.06% and Dell Inc. dell showed mild gains Wednesday, helping to boost the Nasdaq Composite Index $compq by 3 points to 3,068. However, losses from the likes of Facebook Inc. FB, +0.74% and Zynga Inc. ZNGA, +2.87% also stood out, with Facebook shares off by 3% at $19.61 and Zynga down by 2% to trade at $2.38 a share. Facebook fell after Bloomberg reported that the company fought the Securities and Exchange Commission over releasing more information about risks in Facebook's mobile-ad strategy prior to its IPO in May. Zynga retreated after Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson cut his rating on the online social-game company to neutral from outperform.
Read the full story: Facebook, Zynga lead tech stocks lower


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GoAuto boss John Mellor recently attended a convention where Mr Gubbey put these speculations to rest. The problem with Chinese cars, Mr Gubbey told the audience, is that they are not hugely benefited by cheap labour costs. With only around 10% of production costs counting for labour, the Chinese pay similar prices for the goods needed for producing cars.
Another problem will be meeting all of the Australian Design Requirements, which will mean much safer built cars and increased levels of standard equipment, none of which is currently offered on most Chinese made vehicles.
Mr Gubbey believes Chinese cars will be here in around four to five years as the quality is improving rapidly. He also insists that despite the quality and financial burdens on Chinese manufacturers, many are pushed into exports by the Chinese government.
Then there is the rapid employment of foreign auto engineers and specialists to help improve quality and technology. Mr Gubbey also claims Chinese manufacturers are no longer simply copying western designs and technology, but instead developing their own, a claim we strongly dispute.
Mr Gubbey insisted that his appointment will not lead to Holden badged Chinese vehicles any time soon, instead he will be working to increase the value for money offered by Holden to increase pressure on Chinese vehicles if/when they come to Australia.
CarAdvice recently drove the Indian made Mahindra Pik-up, and was generally disappointed with the attention paid to interior refinement.
Click to read the Mahindra Pik-up Review.


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US President Joe Biden signed a bill late April 8 to suspend normal trade relations with Russia, a move which will increase duties at varying rates on US metal products and other imports from Russia.
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Congress previously passed the legislation to revoke Russia's trade status April 7 after a vote was delayed in the Senate for several weeks. Biden initially introduced the trade action March 11 to escalate pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin for the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Normal trade relations, also known as "most-favored-nation" trade status, also was revoked from Belarus for their role in aiding Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.
The bill authorizes the president to enforce higher duty rates on applicable products from Russia and Belarus until January 2024, and the president may restore normal trade status with either country pending permission from Congress.
Along with the trade-status suspension, Biden also signed separate legislation to ban the importation of energy products from Russia.
The US Harmonized Tariff Schedule, compiled by the US International Trade Commission, outlines separate duty rates for favored trade partners (column 1 duties) and non-favored trade partners (column 2 duties).
The revocation of MFN status would subject US imports from Russia and Belarus to column 2 duties.
For metals, duties on US imports from Russia and Belarus could be raised up to 18.5% for most unwrought aluminum, 100% for magnesium, 45% for cobalt alloys, 25% for nickel sulfate, and 20% for finished steel, according to the tariff schedule.
US metal imports from Russia down since 2017
The US Aluminum Association said the US has reduced its exposure to aluminum imports from Russia in recent years.
"The US has historically imported significant volumes of primary unwrought aluminum from Russia," the association told S&P Global Commodity Insights April 11. "With respect to 7606 (HS code for aluminum plate, sheet) and 7607 (aluminum foil), the Aluminum Association and certain of its members have been involved in recent years in unfair trade cases involving imports from a variety of countries, including imports from Russia."
The US aluminum industry has also diversified away from Russian primary aluminum since previous sanctions were temporarily applied in 2018, the trade group said, adding that the Russian share of US aluminum supply has declined to 5.5% from 13.5% in 2017.
The US imported 242,480 mt of aluminum from Russia in 2021 out of 5.56 million mt of total imports, according to US Commerce Department data. Imports from Russia in 2021 fell from 772,809 mt in 2017.
Similarly, steel imports from Russia fell to 1.47 million mt in 2021 from 2.87 million mt in 2017. However, steel shipments to the US from Russia have risen from 977,079 mt in 2019.


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Discover more from The 21 Hats Morning Report
Does PR Have a PR Problem?
An industry veteran says too many firms are more focused on getting that retainer than on the needs of their clients.
Here are today’s highlights:
Employees are happier in their jobs than they’ve been in a long time.
There might be a pretty straight-forward solution to the debt-ceiling crisis.
Live shopping is off to a slow start in the U.S., but a handful of companies refuse to give up.
The lack of office workers continues to have ramifications, including on upscale hotels.
You should demand more of your PR firm, says an anonymous industry veteran: “He says economic uncertainty has been a catalyst for shoddy communications practices, agency jumpers, and flash-in-the-pan marketing moments as opposed to sustainable brand building. In recent years, fragmentation across the digital media landscape has put a strain on client-agency relationships as clients expect more than earned media and communication strategy, according to PR pros. Per the industry veteran, the communications industry has seemingly cut corners to keep clients happy, maintain business relationships, and keep money flowing into the company. For the vet, it has forced him to widen his agency’s capabilities to meet client needs, specifically for the B2B tech companies he works with, which go beyond earned media and into strategy, he said.”
“The strategy work not being done upfront is the killer for why we have bad campaigns, why people say PR doesn’t work. It’s because you’re skipping over the strategy.”
“So all the work that PR agencies should be doing, and I’ll say this very boldly, they don’t want to do it because they’re A) not equipped to do so. B) They have no reference of how to do it from peers or competitors. And C) they want that check deposited as soon as possible. Anything that delays that check and hitting the bank, they won’t do it.”
“PR people have to not think of themselves as PR people. They have to look at themselves as comms strategists, strategic communicators. Public relations, as a term, almost needs to go away for people to view all that it offers and can do. It needs repositioning.” READ MORE
Michael Girdley has a simple point to make about entrepreneurs and litigation:
Workers are happier in their jobs than they’ve been in decades: “Job satisfaction hit a 36-year high in 2022, reflecting two effects of the tight pandemic labor market: The quality of jobs improved as wages and work flexibility increased, and workers moved into positions that were a better fit. Last year, 62.3 percent of U.S. workers said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to new data from the Conference Board, up from 60.2 percent in 2021 and 56.8 percent in 2020. The business-research organization polled workers on 26 aspects of work, and found that people were most content with their commutes, their co-workers, the physical environment of their workplace and job security.”
“Among the happiest workers: people who voluntarily switched jobs during the pandemic and individuals working in hybrid roles with a mix of in-person and remote work. Men’s satisfaction was higher than women’s in every component, especially in areas such as leave policies, bonus plans, promotions, communication, and organizational culture.”
“Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said: ‘Mid-career people, people with kids, seem to be benefiting a lot’ from recent shifts in work, especially hybrid and remote arrangements that allow for better work-life balance.”
“Meanwhile, pay increases have been more pronounced in lower-wage jobs such as warehousing, retail, and restaurants, improving many workers’ views of those jobs, Mr. Hershbein said.” READ MORE
THE DEBT CEILING CRISIS
The Economist says default is no longer unthinkable: “Most of the time, the impossibility of America defaulting on its sovereign bonds is taken as a fundamental axiom of the financial system. The country issues the world’s reserve currency, so investors always stand ready to lend it money. And if you are able to borrow more, you can pay back your debts. Yet Washington is once again reminding the world that, through sheer mulishness, a default is indeed possible. Every now and again—as in 2011, 2013 and today—America smacks into its ‘debt ceiling,’ a political device that places a hard limit (currently $31.4 trillion, or 117 percent of GDP) on gross government borrowing. Congress must then agree to raise or waive the ceiling in order to prevent the Treasury from failing to make bond payments or meet spending obligations. This time Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, has warned that the government may run out of cash and accounting maneuvers as soon as June 1st. And so on May 9th, congressional leaders gathered in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden for the very first stage of negotiation. They are a long way from a deal.”
“Consider what a default would mean. Short-term Treasuries, or T-bills, are the closest thing there is to a risk-free asset. This makes them a favorite of corporate cash managers (who want an ultra-safe return) and any trader needing to post collateral (which must hold its value and be easy to sell).”
“If the government stiffs corporate treasurers, companies will miss payments to one another and the wheels of commerce will grind to an agonizing halt.”
“America’s politics will prevent an early deal, and it could well take the markets freaking out to force one at all. Default remains the least likely outcome. But as investors are acutely aware, it is no longer unthinkable.” READ MORE
What would happen if the president simply ignores the ceiling and continues to pay the nation’s debts? “Given the stakes, it’s important to explore the likely consequences if Mr. Biden ignores the debt ceiling — how doing so would affect our economy and the markets, our retirement savings and even our constitutional system. There is encouraging news for the president and those who follow our first Treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, in believing we must pay our legally incurred debts. We are far better off doing so, even if it means short-term chaos should Mr. Biden allow the June 1 deadline to come and go.”
“The best-case scenario in this situation is that Mr. McCarthy’s caucus recognizes it has no legal case and its bluff has been called and that it gives up the tactic and passes budget legislation to which the Senate and the president can ultimately agree. This is unlikely but not impossible.”
“But suppose the Republicans take the president to court nonetheless. What then? Assuming the courts didn’t refuse to hear the case on justiciability grounds, the challenge would certainly receive expedited review, given the magnitude of the matter. During the brief time the issue was being litigated, we’d see the beginnings of some of the nightmare economic scenarios sketched above.”
“It is exceedingly difficult to imagine Chief Justice John Roberts (who famously upheld Obamacare in 2012 and after) or Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, let alone the court’s Democratic appointees, demanding default — especially if the aforementioned financial tremors have already begun.” READ MORE
These companies are betting that Americans will eventually take to online shopping: “Poshmark is one of many companies racing to break into the United States’ nascent live shopping market, which is estimated to bring in $32 billion in sales this year, according to the retail consulting firm Coresight Research. Eyeing the live shopping market in China, which, by comparison, is projected to bring in $647 billion this year, American companies have for years poured money into the medium, where people buy and sell products in real time over video. But American consumers have yet to take to live shopping in the same way.”
“Alongside Poshmark, QVC’s parent company Qurate recently started Sune, a live shopping app targeting Gen Z. Last year, Walmart, YouTube and eBay added or expanded their live shopping features. For Prime Day, Amazon recruited celebrities like Kevin Hart to promote its Amazon Live platform.”
“As big tech and major retailers work to gain a foothold in live shopping, start-ups like Whatnot and Ntwrk are touting their tight-knit customer communities as a blueprint for live shopping in the United States. Investors poured more than $380 million into livestream e-commerce companies in the United States last year, up from $36 million in 2020, according to PitchBook.”
“For Paige DeSorbo, a podcaster and influencer on the Bravo reality series ‘Summer House,’ hosting her own show on Amazon Live allows her followers to see a ‘totally different’ side of her personality.”
“‘People trust me on certain things, so they want my opinion on whether it’s fashion or beauty,’ she said. ‘When I’m talking to them on live, I do feel like it’s more, we’re friends.’”READ MORE
The weakness in the office market is hurting upscale hotels: “CoStar found upper-upscale hotels in markets that have seen more drastic office market changes — think San Francisco — have also seen the biggest drop in occupancy rates. It found office leasing activity and occupancy of upper-upscale hotels in San Francisco have declined about 30 percent and more than 40 percent, respectively, since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Among major U.S. cities, all but a handful followed the same correlation of slumping office leasing activity and weaker occupancy rates in the upper-upscale tier of the hotel market.”
“Boston saw occupancy of its upper-upscale hotel market segment grow modestly — less than 10 percent — since the pandemic, while its office market leasing activity is down about 15 percent since 2019.”
“In San Diego, where office leasing activity has declined less than 10 percent since 2019, its upper-upscale hotel market occupancy rates have grown by nearly 10 percent.”
“Only Miami posted positive growth in hotel occupancy and office leasing rates since the pandemic, among the cities analyzed by CoStar. Markets with a strong leisure component, such as Miami, have also disproportionately outperformed ones more reliant on business travel.” READ MORE
Could subscription pricing spur more health care innovation? “Low prices make antibiotics looks like a bad bet, so many pharmaceutical companies decline to develop them, despite their obvious long-term value to patients and society. The consequence is a very thin pipeline of potential new antibiotics. The Pasteur Act, now under consideration in the U.S. Congress, proposes to stimulate the development of new antibiotics through a subscription model. Such pricing models are likely to become an increasingly important feature in the health sector to stimulate valuable innovation and to improve access to new treatments, particularly those — like gene therapies — that come with very high price tags.”
“Subscription models come in two flavors. The first supports the creation of a valuable option, like antibiotics held in reserve against the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. The second expands access to a high-priced treatment to populations who may otherwise be priced out of the market.”
“The state of Louisiana has used this second type of subscription model to create access to antiviral drugs for Hepatitis C for its Medicaid and incarcerated populations.” READ MORE
Social media and the pandemic have brought new shoppers to America’s Chinatowns: “Peter Li emigrated from China, where he learned to butcher, in 1985, eventually opening his own market and maintaining connections with friends who left the city to establish livestock farms. Building relationships with duck farmers on Long Island helped him create a market for Chinese barbecue across the community: ‘My dad and I can see a duck hanging in a window at a restaurant and tell you where it came from based on how fat or slim it is,’ Jefferson says.”
“But it was the frustration and fear of the pandemic’s early days that drove Jefferson to take to social media in an effort to bring business to his family’s store and help feed the local community. His pathos-laden Reddit post, by turns raw, funny, and deeply personal, included lines such as: ‘$10 will get you something like 13 pounds of chicken drumsticks, plus a dozen eggs. Don’t like drum sticks? Fine, get something else, our prices are lower than your GPA and your parents’ expectations for you.’”
“Unsurprisingly, the post went viral. ‘I literally wrote it while I was sitting in the delivery truck,’ Jefferson says. ‘I’d seen supermarkets charging $59.99 a pound for drumsticks. At first I thought, ‘Fine, I should do that,’ but then I thought about families like mine and the aunts and grandmas of people I grew up with. I didn’t want to be a scumbag.’”
“The response was big, attracting non-Asian shoppers from outside the community, often groups of people placing orders of $400 or higher. Jefferson started adding signs in English, a novelty in a store that had only Chinese language signage. As the pandemic wound down, the big orders became less frequent, but the store has still seen more diversity in its customers.” READ MORE
THE 21 HATS PODCAST
I’m Not a Real CEO: This week, Jay Goltz, Liz Picarazzi, and Sarah Segal talk about the inherent conflicts between being an entrepreneur and being a CEO—and the different skill sets each role requires. Does it make sense for the same person to do both jobs? Is being CEO even a full-time job? And when does it make sense to replace yourself as CEO? Liz says she’s thought about it. Jay, not so much: “Could I have found somebody 10, 15, 20 years ago that was a better manager? Sure. But it just wasn't worth it.” Why not? “It's gonna cost you $250,000 a year,” Jay says. “Is it worth paying that?” Plus: Liz and Sarah talk about positioning a company to be acquired. And Sarah proposes a PR campaign for Liz’s package bins right on the spot.
You can subscribe to the 21 Hats Podcast wherever you get podcasts.
Thanks for reading, everyone. — Loren


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The 2023 Super Bowl is over, so there’s a slew of expensive commercials and trailers to watch. Here are the best, rounded up.
The Super Bowl is more than just a football game, it’s a cultural phenomenon and one of the biggest publicity events in the world. Every year, corporations and movie studios pull out all the stops with big-budget ads. The competition is fierce. Super Bowl 2023 was no exception, as it featured some of the most innovative and captivating advertisements.
This year, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles (38-35). But who cares ?
We’re here for the wildly expensive ads that aired during the big game. From a GM and Netflix spot featuring Will Ferrell, to thrilling trailers for highly anticipated movies like Fast X and Creed III, there’s something for everyone. We found many of them to be creative, funny and eye-catching. Here is our selection of the best.
The best Super Bowl 2023 commercials
Here are all the best Super Bowl ads and commercials the companies ran during the big game. Our favorites include spots from GM and Netflix, Squarespace, Hellman’s, and other giant corporations that typically buy Super Bowl airtime.
GM X Netflix
The best Super Bowl 2023 trailers
Here are all the best Super Bowl movie and TV trailers released during the big game. We’re especially excited for the next installment of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Flash, and Fast X. Check them out below.
Creed III is scheduled for release on March 3, 2023.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release on May 3, 2023.
Fast X is set to release on May 19, 2023.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Transformers: Rise of The Beasts is set to release on June 9, 2023.
The Flash is set to release on June 16, 2023.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate
Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny are scheduled for release on June 30, 2023.
When was Super Bowl 2023?
The 2023 Super Bowl took place on Sunday, February 12, 2023, kicking off at 6:30 p.m. EST. Pocket-lint has a guide that explains how NFL fans in the UK can stream the big game online:
What is the name of the Super Bowl 2023?
It is officially called Super Bowl LVII (or Super Bowl 57).
Where did the 2023 Super Bowl take place?
The 57th Super Bowl was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Who won the 2023 Super Bowl?
The American Football Conference champions Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference champions Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. It was an intense game that saw the two teams go head-to-head until the very end.


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McLaren unveils 12C Spider at Pebble Beach
McLaren has launched its new 12C Spider during Gooding & Company’s auction preview at Pebble Beach.
McLaren has pulled the covers off the its recently announced 12C Spider during a Gooding & Company auction preview at the Pebble Beach concours.
It's been a busy week for McLaren, also revealing its one-off X-1 Concept, before displaying its new 12C Spider on the lawn at Pebble Beach - the first public showing for both cars.
Adding just 40kg to the 12C's weight - taking it to a 1474kg total – the performance is just slightly down on the 616bhp 2013 Coupe. It's 0-62mph time matches the Coupe's 3.1secs, 0-100mph is a tenth down at 6.1secs. With a top speed of 204mph, it's just 3mph slower than the hardtop.
The Spider is on sale now - starting from £195,500 - with deliveries expected to commence in November.


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Our Innovation Accelerator Program for the Global Change Award winners is designed to accelerate the development of their innovations to reach the market quicker and therefore driving change in the fashion industry. This year, our Accelerator delivered knowhow from an impressive list of guest speakers, but it also played an important role in giving a sense of belonging and moral support to our winners because of the pandemic.
H&M Foundation and Social Alpha have joined hands to launch “Techtonic – Innovations in Waste Management”, a nationwide grand challenge in India to identify and curate locally designed, disruptive innovations addressing problems in waste management and improving the livelihoods of waste pickers.
Cotton is certified, recycling is on the rise, value chain processes are improved – but it’s not enough. We need to look at the whole system and see how it can be changed from the ground up. With an ambition to find a truly sustainable solution for the fashion industry, non-profit H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) extend their collaboration for five more years in a new initiative called the Planet First program. Ground-breaking technologies are already being tested.
For the first time textile blends can be recycled at scale. Together with our ambitious research partner HKRITA, the forward-thinking textile manufacturer Kahatex, and a research team made up of retired, but exceptionally passionate and committed scientists – the fashion industry has taken a huge leap forward in the quest on creating a more sustainable fashion future.
Our 2020 winners have all made great progress with their innovations over the last six months, despite the world being upside down. We have been working closely together with them through a redesigned version of our one-year Innovation Accelerator Program, providing weekly digital sessions by us, our partners Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology as well as guest speakers and GCA alumnis, instead of three main bootcamp weeks around the world.
As a non-profit foundation, our job is to influence the entire fashion industry to rethink how fashion is made, worn and reused. Why? Because there is no planet B. But the industry can’t solve the problem alone, they also need to have their customers onboard.
As a non-profit foundation, our job is to influence the entire fashion industry to rethink how fashion is made, worn and reused. Why? Because there is no planet B. But the industry can’t solve the problem alone, they also need to have their customers onboard. So, let’s do this. Learn more how you with a few simple choices, can contribute to a better planet for generations to come.
Dimpora won the Global Change Award in 2019 with their biodegradable and mineral-based membrane for outdoor wear. Since then they have for example developed a limited edition jacket with Swiss outdoor brand Rotauf, and are currently looking to scale up and connect with more players in the industry.
With only 10 years left to reach the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, disruptive innovations on how to solve the planet’s most urgent challenges are more important than ever. After five years of incredible innovations within circular fashion, we are now looking at how to extend the scope to create an even bigger impact. Therefore, the next round of Global Change Award will launch next year.
Through digital manufacturing, Spanish team ZER Collection eliminates fabric waste and once their garments are worn out, they can be melted down and put back into the loop. It’s circular fashion at its best.


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Cigar factories have always been a staple in Ybor City.
And Tampa's last full scale cigar factory, Cigar City, remains in operation near Interstate 4.
The factory is owned and operated by J.C. Newman Cigar Company – a four-generation, family-owned small business. But the 104-year-old factory may be shut down to new Food and Drug Administration rulings.
Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera visited the factory Wednesday to speak with workers about what the state is doing to address the issue.
"This is a classic example of too much government," Lopez-Cantera said. "And government overstepping its bounds."
New FDA regulations would force J.C. Newman to submit to a 5,000-hour testing phase for new products and add regulatory fees. For a business that still uses machines from the 1930s to make cigars, the new way of business would be a death sentence.
"It would shut the factory because we couldn't afford to make cigars," said co-owner Bob Newman. "It would be a tragedy."
Shutting the factory would cost 130 employees their jobs.
Newman is hopeful the FDA will exempt the business from complying with the new regulations under the clause of being a high-end cigar company that makes and sells high end cigars.
Meanwhile, there is a petition circulating online, Save Cigar City, to save the factory.
The deadline for signing the petition is Aug. 8.


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Bookipi is now offering two additional superannuation investment options in a new partnership with Spaceship Super.
Australian fintech Bookipi is set to launch its new invoice payments platform, BookiPay, thanks to its new partnership with Fat Zebra.
Bookipi, a fast-growing invoicing and payroll processing startup raises $1.6 million seed investment to accelerate its global growth
Bookipi’s invoicing app generates over $12 billion of invoices per year, being one of the fastest growing and highest ranked invoicing apps globally.
The 5th Annual Australian FinTech Awards 2020 have been run and won – here are all the winners from FinTech’s night of nights!


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The largest shopping mall operator in the United States, Simon Property Group, which oversees a portfolio of over 200 malls across North America, Europe and Asia, is looking to make some changes at its properties. In a recent, first quarter of 2023 earnings call, the company announced plans to add as many as 2,000 residential and hotel units in an effort to boost profitability and diversify revenues at the company.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Simon Property Group, and many of its retail tenants have struggled with decreased foot traffic and reduced sales. The company has implemented various measures to support its tenants and promote the safe reopening of its properties.
For the first three months of 2023, the company reported total revenue of $1.35 billion, which is up just over 4 percent over the first three months in 2022 when it reported revenue of $1.295 billion. Overall, occupancy was 94.4 percent at March 31, 2023, compared to 93.3 percent at March 31, 2022, an increase of 1.1 percent, and base minimum rent per square foot was $55.84 at March 31, 2023, compared to $54.14 at March 31, 2022, an increase of 3.1 percent, Simon reported. On top of that, its tenants did better, as well. The company reported retailer sales per square foot was $759, an increase of 3.3 percent for the trailing 12 months ended March 31, 2023.
The big announcements for the group included the opening of the West Paris Designer Outlet in Normandy, France, and the restart of construction on an upscale outlet center in Tulsa, Okla., which is projected to open in the fall of 2024.
However, perhaps the most interesting new announcement was that the company has also identified projects that include roughly 2,000 residential units and hotel rooms.
“We have a residential pipeline that looks really attractive in hotels that are generating really good accretive values of around 2,000 units,” said David Simon, chairman, chief executive officer and president for the company. “Now, that’s not going to happen overnight, but that’s going to happen over the next few years. So that for us is a real opportunity.”
The company is looking to deliver these units through selective joint ventures for certain residential developments, and it may also bring in third-party equity. Each deal will be assessed individually, Simon stated, and it’s likely to span a period of at least five years, with several expected to start as early as this year.
According to Simon, the company is already pursuing permits across the West Coast in California and the Northwest; however, pending those outcomes, it will proceed as it sees opportunities arise.
The company is looking to spend as much as $1.5 billion on these projects, which is an estimate at this point, and the projects would span across the United States, from Austin, Texas, to Orange County, California, to Seattle, and include hotels in Florida, multifamily properties in Florida, and potentially a hotel in Cape Cod, Simon added.
“The big focus is on where we can add some mixed uses, because we do think like what we did in Buckhead is having a tremendous impact on the overall value of that real estate,” Simon said. “So, not only does — is it accretive from a value point of view just on the cost to the return on the build versus what’s the value of that is after it’s built, but also the residual benefits that we see from them all.”


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The global pandemic has rapidly accelerated the shift to digitization for many aspects of our daily lives. While the most notable shifts online have so far been with education, shopping, and employment, COVID-19 has also had quite a significant impact on the real estate and fintech industries.
Prior to the current crisis, it was obvious that the future of fintech would be pivotal for financial services moving forward.
Now that the world has been dealing with COVID-19 for over 12 months, here are some of the most important innovations and changes throughout the new age of the fintech industry.
6 Important Innovations in Fintech Industry 2021
1. Technology Adoption
Traditional banking methods have been steadily declining over the past decade, which was exacerbated further during lockdown by lower incomes and higher unemployment.
The good news is that there was a significant increase in the downloading of financial applications to mobile smartphones and tablets as more consumers had no other choice but to adapt to more digital lifestyles.
Plus, as support increases for digital financial payments, debits, and credits, system integration will more likely continue the upward trend of interest in fintech and maybe even accelerate it post-pandemic.
2. Higher Personalization
There has been an increased prioritization over the last 12 months in providing customers with much more personalized financial solutions.
Therefore, fintech companies are finding new ways of improving their data assessment methods and forecasting capabilities to ensure they have a better understanding of what each individual needs.
As they move beyond simply profit-seeking in their transactions, they are offering more complete products that more successfully match client wants, needs, and expectations.
3. A Focus on Cybersecurity
The acceleration towards digital transformation has been positive, as people of all ages have been learning how they can access financial services at any time online. This has also enhanced the risk of cyberattacks, causing an increased number of online threats to fintech data.
The fintech industry as a whole has been counteracting this by creating apps with improved security features, financial management, and customer services that ensure client data is immune to phishing and cyberattacks.
4. Expanding Mobile Payments
The demand for online financial services in the digital era of today was already high, but it’s become even more increasingly popular during the lockdown.
With contactless payments via mobile applications now a priority for the majority of consumers, many fintech companies have not only been able to maintain their profit margins, but some have even managed to increase them.
The recent credit demand during lockdown overwhelmed many traditional banks, which could become a crucial driver of change towards fintech credit and lending services in the future. This is one area in the fintech industry that has an opportunity to evolve and grow, which may help facilitate the acceleration towards cashless payments.
5. Financial Lending
Securing funding throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has unsurprisingly become almost impossible for many start-ups in the fintech sector. In order for them to remain viable, these firms have tightened lending requirements of the loans they offer small enterprises.
This is most likely because the majority of investors have been more cautious than normal due to the economic volatility and instability.
Although this has been proving to be quite tough for those in the fintech industry, defaults have generally been raised, providing an extended grace period that will hopefully see them become successful over the long term.
6. A Transpiring ‘New Normal’
Despite forcing many in the fintech sector to adjust operational expectations, and numerous short-term challenges facing services, the pandemic certainly hasn’t halted overall progress.
It may not be easy, but with eCommerce digital solutions set to continue increasing in demand, there are a myriad of future opportunities there for those in the fintech industry willing to take a chance.
Given the increasing reliance on technology and the acceleration of emerging digital trends, the fintech industry could look completely different within only a few years.
Fintech services are all set to become a leading part of the continuous transformation of the world after covid-19.
- 6 Digital Banking Ideas You Can Borrow From Fintech Industry
- The Role of AI in Stimulating the Growth of Fintech Sector
- Great Content Ideas to Better ROI in State of Fintech Marketing
Author: Emma Williams


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Thursday- August 30, 2018 – 11:00 AM
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Alert
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Investigators would like to remind the public to be on alert for scammers using various methods to defraud you and/or your family members.
A recent incident was brought to our attention in which the scammer called the potential victim and claimed to be a member of the Escambia Sheriff’s Office.
The scammer claimed to be an employee of the ECSO and told the recipient she had an outstanding warrant that if she did not send money by gift card or electronic transfer right away, he would issue a warrant for her arrest.
If you receive such a call, please contact the ECSO immediately and report it. Do not send any money or provide your personal or financial information.
There are multiple variations of this scam currently going around, and fraudsters are constantly devising new and innovative ways to take your hard-earned money. Here are a few ways you can avoid becoming a victim of fraud:
• Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office or any other business – especially if it is coming from a business that you do not normally patronize.
• A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
• ALWAYS be suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, gift card, “green dot” card payment, or wire transfer.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel that something “just isn’t right”, call your local law enforcement agency and report it. It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact.


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The Senate’s antitrust panel held a hearing this past Tuesday to look into the computer crashes and delays that happened last year when tickets went on sale for Taylor Swift’s: The Eras Tour.
After a three-hour meeting, Senators were unable to come up with a resolution. They offered ideas such as restricting transfer of tickets and encouraging resale of tickets to weaken the scalping market.
The hearing was held to investigate Ticketmaster, which currently holds 90% of the market after its merger with Live Nation, which was approved by Congress in 2010.
This comes after fans’ outcry on social media in November of last year, when Ticketmaster canceled the general sale for Swift’s tour, which begins in March.


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X, the company formerly known as Twitter, is seeing its operational run rate near break-even levels, CEO Linda Yaccarino said in an interview with CNBC.
(Bloomberg) — X, the company formerly known as Twitter, is seeing its operational run rate near break-even levels, CEO Linda Yaccarino said in an interview with CNBC.
“We’re pacing well,” she said, adding that the company is hiring after Musk laid off much of its staff in the weeks following his acquisition.
“When we think about our data licensing and API, X is an incredible business,” Yaccarino said. “Our new subscription business is growing.”
She added that she is encouraged by meetings with blue chip brands and that the “future is bright.”
When asked about her role in the shadow of Musk, Yaccarino said she holds complete autonomy when it comes to running the portion of the business she is responsible for.
“Our roles are very clear, and the way Elon and I talked about it before I started was that while our lanes are fairly clear and defined, we are brought together by the belief in what we’re trying to achieve,” she said.
The former NBCUniversal executive also addressed concerns over the company’s content moderation policies. She asserted that the platform is much safer and healthier than it was a year ago.
“We have built brand safety and content moderation tools that have never existed before at the company at this company,” she said.
On the launch of Meta Platform Inc.’s rival Threads platform, Yaccarino said the hype surrounding it has dropped dramatically but added that she is keeping watch of what Meta is building.
“They’ll continue iterating as much as the launch stalled,” she said. “We’re keeping an eye on everything they are doing.”
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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